riding your cow

Hmmm... I would never try it bareback.

For the last 15+ years I've been using the Natural Ride instead of a saddle. I have no desire to to back to saddles and I do long and tough mountain riding on my equine. I had started my steer with a saddle, but then got the NR. He did fine with it. The steer had a nice, round back and did great with the saddle pad that came with the NR. An equine with a more pronouced backbone needs a thicker saddle pad -- or I should say *I* do!

When I got the NR, I stripped everything off the fork and put on my own cinch, billets, stirrup leathers, stirrups. This is how it came:



Mounting the NR. I have a 200 pound friend who loves her NR and has no problem mounting/dismounting:



The NR isn't for everyone, 'specially those who need the security of a saddle.

I also prefer the NR, it is much more versatile than a saddle. It fits on animals w/ very different body shapes...including cattle I suppose.

When I was younger...and braver...I used to swing up on one of the older Jersey cows and let her carry me, at liberty, up from the field when I brought the herd in to milk.

After reading this thread, I am starting to look at the herd I currently milk with similar thoughts. I actually did climb up the holding pen rail and lower my weight (briefly) onto a girl the other day...it was worth it to see the surprised look on her face.

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Cows may not be smarter than People, but some cows are smarter than some people.

Looking at my jersey, she just doesn't appear to be built to carry around an adult on her back. Maybe I'm wrong. Her spine is sharp and I, as a male, am not planning to ever get up there!

I raised a bucket calf when I was in 4-H and kept her as a heifer (Angus x Holstein) and she was halter broke and would let me climb on and ride her as often as I wanted. She ws very tame and calm.

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my 9 month old insists on sitting on each of the calves and the Jersey cows whenever we are in the pasture, he especially likes it if they try to run and he gets a little "bump" up and down. Of course he is in the capable hands of Daddy.